Thursday, February 8, 2018

8 February 2012 - A T'riffic Result For 'Arry

On 8 February 2012, Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp was acquitted of tax evasion charges. The decision cleared the last roadblock for him to take over as England manager, but it didn't happen.

The charges stemmed from Redknapp's time at Portsmouth. In 2002, the club sold striker Peter Crouch to Aston Villa, triggering a fee due to Redknapp in his position as manager. According to prosecutors, club owner Milan Mandaric deposited a portion of the fee, amounting to around £200,000, into an account held by Redknapp in Monaco, thus avoiding taxes in the UK. Redknapp and Mandaric admitted to the deposit, but claimed it was an investment and not a fee related to the Crouch sale.

Highlights of the two-week trial included the revelation that Redknapp had named the Monaco account after his dog Rosie and his claim that he has never used a computer or sent an email, fax, or text.

The jury ultimately found both men not guilty, relying in part on the defense's argument that, for men who deal in substantial sums, the amount involved was too small to justify such efforts to avoid the payment of taxes.

During the trial, Redknapp was considered by many to be the favorite to replace Fabio Capello as England manager. But although Capello resigned on the same day as Redknapp's acquittal, the FA opted instead for West Brom manager Roy Hodgson.